RSS Count
Follow Me on Twitter
Install / Enable HUAWEI E156G on Ubuntu
As mentioned in my previous post I bought Mobitel HSPA connection. When I bought the connection, I bought a new modem too (HUAWEI E156G).
Modem is working perfectly fine on Windows with Mobile Partner software but when it comes to Ubuntu it has problems.
My previous modem E220 had almost no issues on Ubuntu. As you connect your modem everything is done on plug-and-play basis, but when it comes to E156G it was not the same case. First I thought the USB Modem is not even recognized as a device, but Ubuntu did find it but didn’t bring up any pop-up as it does for E220.
Did a googling and found out the way. Hope it’ll be helpful as many people are buying Mobitel HSPA these days.
- First right click on the Network icon and choose Edit Connections
- Now choose Mobile BroadBand tab
- Click on Add button and choose Mobitel
- Once you done with the wizard click on Mobitel and choose edit
- there make sure you have *99# as Number and Mobitel3g as APN.
Click on the image to enlarge it
That’s all now you can connect to Internet using HUAWEI E156G. If you’re using a different provider then change the Number and APN accordingly.
Mobitel HSPA Betrayed Me!
I’ve been using Dialog HSPA over last one year. In the beginning they’ve had a nice service but over the time their service became so crap! Most of the time connection hangs at 0Kbps. May be last quarter they started to give more bandwidth as I could feel the improvement in the speed.
Few months back I moved to Dehiwala and my roommate is using Mobitel. As per his openion Mobitel is cool, and they are giving more free bundle (8Gb) compare to Dialog (5Gb). I’m not intended to take Airtel into this discussion as their product got mixed reaction from different places.
Recently (may be a week) I got a promotion announcement from American Express that I’m entitled for Mobitel HSPA connection promotion where I have to pay 500 LKR per month for 12 months (which makes 6000 LKR) for modem and 1280 LKR for Zoom package.
As I bought the SIM and modem in Collupittiya the guy behind the desk told me “Sir, it’ll be activated in 10 mins time”. I was thinking “Wow, 10 mins huh? Dialog takes hours”.
I didn’t realize the pain that I’m gonna get till I came back and plugged the modem into machine. I got E156G Huwawi model HSPA modem, which doesn’t have a user manual attached to it. I had good time finding the slot where we need insert the SIM without the user manual.
I was so confident that Mobitel will work faster than Dialog so I can work at least around 2 MBps speed which I usually get in Dialog. But all went wrong when I found that it works at 0.2 MBps.
I called customer care and they’ve asked me to set the network to WCDMA Only but no luck and I again called the customer care (yeah I’m using Dialog mobile so I need to pay for the calls that I make to Mobitel customer care) and the guy who took the phone recommended me to use manual operator search in the Mobile Partner software.
For god sake I did both and still no luck.
I know it’s nothing to do with the modem as my roomie who used to have good speed also having the same issue now.
Now I’m F-uped here, can’t move away from Mobitel because I’ve a commitment of one year and can’t go back to Dialog as I can’t pay for 2 HSPA connection at a time.
Why on Earth Mobitel letting their customers down??
Dehiwala
Please read Kalinga’s blog too (in Sinhala) on same issue but comprehensive discussion.
All in all, people gonna teach Mobitel good lesson as they’ve done to Dialog. Learn it hard way!
Lets Make Money Online
